Caliper bodies for a disc brake are generally arranged straddling an associable brake disc having a first braking surface, or vehicle-side braking surface, and a second braking surface, or wheel-side braking surface, opposite to said first braking surface. Said caliper bodies generally comprise a first elongated portion, or vehicle-side elongated portion, at least partially adapted to face said first braking surface, and a second elongated portion, or wheel-side elongated portion, opposite to said first elongated portion and at least partially adapted to face said second braking surface.
Caliper bodies for a disc brake are generally made in one piece by means of molding, melting and/or material removal from a solid. The ducts for feeding brake fluid or cooling oil into the caliper body and the pad-housing seats associable with the caliper body, and the seats for receiving pad thrust means, such as for example cylinder-piston assemblies, are generally obtained by using foundry blanks or by removing material from the caliper body. An example of caliper body made by means of foundry techniques is known from document WO-2013-105010-A1 by the applicant.
Particularly for applications in the racing field, finishing operations are adapted to customize the caliper body so as to respond to the particular, specific needs of the type of race to be tackled.
However, removing material from a caliper body is a laborious operation because it requires to intervene on portions which are difficult to be accessed, e.g. the caliper body portions adapted to face an associable brake disc. It is often required to perform operations adapted to form undercut surfaces or recesses. on said portions.
For example, European patent EP-1521657-B1 shows a metal workpiece, adapted to be used preferably as a generic foundry blank, comprising a lower portion and an upper portion obtained by means of different manufacturing techniques. In particular, said upper portion is obtained by means of a sintering or metal powder melting process, while said lower portion is obtained by means of subtractive manufacturing techniques. Thereby, a foundry blank may be obtained, which comprises an upper portion of shape suited to obtain channels and cavities in the molten material.
International patent application WO-2015-058043-A1 and U.S. Pat. No. 9,062,883-B2 show products obtained in part by means of subtractive manufacturing techniques, such as for example foundry techniques, and in part by means of additive manufacturing techniques or in other words obtained in part by material layering. In particular, U.S. Pat. No. 9,062,883-B2 shows channels, adapted to allow the introduction of fluids therein, obtained layer by layer.
Known additive manufacturing techniques are, for example: 3D printing, selective laser sintering and selective powder melting.
It is thus felt the need to provide a caliper body for a disc brake which can be customized so as to satisfy contingent needs and manufacturing specifications, while ensuring accurate compliance with the geometric parameters established during the step of designing.
It is also felt the need to provide a method of manufacturing a caliper body for a disc brake, which is faster and more efficient than the known solutions, while ensuring compliance with the geometric parameters of the caliper body as well as satisfactory mechanical features of light weight of the caliper body and of resistance to the forces which are developed in operating conditions.